We want a government that's small enough to listen, big enough to tackle real problems, smart enough to spend our money wisely, and honest enough to be held accountable for results. We need your help.

News < Re: Week of August 9

That's the amount in unpaid bills the state will accrue if it does not enact a budget by the end of this month, according to State Controller John Chiang. While it might be premature to speculate on the the budget debacle extending into September, Senate Republican Leader-Elect Bob Dutton is giving Big 5 leaders until September 3 before he steps in to replace current Senate Republican Leader Dennis Hollingsworth.

In other electoral reform news, the state's Fair Political Practices Commission urged staff to move forward with regulations that would bring more light upon the funding sources behind online communications when existing expenditure reporting thresholds are triggered. In the same meeting, Chairman Dan Schnur advocated for expanding disclosure of independent expenditures when communications are "susceptible of no reasonable interpretation other than as an appeal to vote for or against a specific candidate or measure.” The current disclosure trigger requires specific "magic words" such as "vote for candidate X." Unfortunately for reformers, those regulations will not go into effect until after the November election.